The Student Room Group

The Tunnel Problem - What would you do?

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Choices

Hit and Kill the child 86%
Swerve thereby killing you14%
Total votes: 7
You are travelling along a single lane mountain road in an autonomous car that is fast approaching a narrow tunnel. Just before entering the tunnel a child attempts to run across the road but trips in the center of the lane, effectively blocking the entrance to the tunnel. The car has but two options: hit and kill the child, or swerve into the wall on either side of the tunnel, thus killing you. How should the car react?

What would you do?

(edited 9 years ago)

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I chose swerve, but to be honest, that's probably more of a gut reaction than anything. If I had time to really think about it, I'd hope that I'd also have time to hit the brakes so I just assumed I'd swerve on instinct.
Reply 2
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Wee.Guy
OP
9
Original post by 99DeadBaboons
I chose swerve, but to be honest, that's probably more of a gut reaction than anything. If I had time to really think about it, I'd hope that I'd also have time to hit the brakes so I just assumed I'd swerve on instinct.


its an automated car ie the car is driving itself. the question is how should it have been programmed to save you or the child.
Reply 3
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455409
17
Original post by Wee.Guy
its an automated car ie the car is driving itself. the question is how should it have been programmed to save you or the child.


I'd rather I survived at the child's expense, to be totally honest.

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Reply 4
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Wee.Guy
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9
Original post by james1211
I'd rather I survived at the child's expense, to be totally honest.

Posted from TSR Mobile


rep for honesty.
Original post by Wee.Guy
You are travelling along a single lane mountain road in an autonomous car that is fast approaching a narrow tunnel. Just before entering the tunnel a child attempts to run across the road but trips in the center of the lane, effectively blocking the entrance to the tunnel. The car has but two options: hit and kill the child, or swerve into the wall on either side of the tunnel, thus killing you. How should the car react?

What would you do?



Are you a philosophy student or do you just like philosophy? :tongue:

This sounds horrific but that child shouldn't have been in the road in the first place... Gah! I don't know, I don't want to kill someone!

So you can either 'live as a coward' or 'die as a hero'
Hmm...

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Reply 6
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Wee.Guy
OP
9
Original post by karmacrunch
Are you a philosophy student or do you just like philosophy? :tongue:



No im not a Philosophy student, but ive done some short philosophy courses. i enjoy studying moral philosophy
Original post by Wee.Guy
You are travelling along a single lane mountain road in an autonomous car that is fast approaching a narrow tunnel. Just before entering the tunnel a child attempts to run across the road but trips in the center of the lane, effectively blocking the entrance to the tunnel. The car has but two options: hit and kill the child, or swerve into the wall on either side of the tunnel, thus killing you. How should the car react?

What would you do?



I'd prefer not to die. If the kid hadn't been so Darwin award-winning, we wouldn't be in this situation. And what about my car's no claims bonus!? :sad: poor car.
Original post by Mad Vlad
I'd prefer not to die. If the kid hadn't been so Darwin award-winning, we wouldn't be in this situation. And what about my car's no claims bonus!? :sad: poor car.


this

the kid has lost at life
Reply 9
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Wee.Guy
OP
9
My view is that the car responsibility is to the passenger.
I'd speed up. It works for deer, right?
Reply 11
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Ndella
18
I'd keep driving in the direction for two reasons:

1) The kid was being irresponsible so it's their own fault.
2) The situation would probably be too quick for me to react to thus deeming it an accident. Therefore no jail for me :biggrin:
Original post by tehforum
this

the kid has lost at life


You make me so sad for the future of humanity. You're just a microcosm of what Hitler was.

It is never right for an adult to feel that they are such better worth than a child. Part of the better worth of an adult comes from their humbleness in this respect.

The child tripped. That was unfortunate. It's also unfortunate that there was a driverless car coming at all.

It's sadistic that the car was programmed to drive in to someone in the event that they would be in the way of the car.

If you're in a driverless car relinquishing your control you deserve to have all 'moral' control taken away from you. You deserve for the car to spare the person in your way.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Ndella
I'd keep driving in the direction for two reasons:

1) The kid was being irresponsible so it's their own fault.
2) The situation would probably be too quick for me to react to thus deeming it an accident. Therefore no jail for me :biggrin:


Sick. You can't be religious in the slightest. Neither are you a humanist.

Someone tripping is not irresponsibility. It's accidental. Particularly for a child.

Someone driivng a driverless car that chooses to kill whoever's in its way IS terrible!
Original post by InsertWittyName
I'd speed up. It works for deer, right?


I'm so sick for laughing at this but you had me in stitches.

The car should save me, i'd prefer not to be driving such a stupid car in the first place.
(edited 9 years ago)
The car should be programmed to make the decision based on the probabilities of survival, like the robot that chooses to save Will Smith over the drowning girl.
If there are no cars behind, why can't it just brake? If there is a car behind, then you have to keep going, or you're trading one life for several.
Depends how long I had to think. My initial instinct is not to hurt another person. On reflection I'd probably decide my life is worth more to me than the child's life is worth (to me - and only me)
The safety systems in a car always protect the people in the car first and foremost because it's your car designed to protect you so regardless of what it should do any automated car would probably hit the child.
I'm surprised by how many people say they would choose their own life over the child's...

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